Archaeologists went back in time, from the Middle Ages to Roman times, in the basements of downtown Limoges. The excavations completed, the redevelopment work will now begin.
In Limoges, city soil is renowned for being a real Gruyère whose cavities are not always empty. The latest archaeological excavations made by the ONTHA archaeological design office have demonstrated it. On the place of the benches, one three sectors in which the excavations were carried out, the traces of an ancient Roman occupation were found.
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Preventive archaeological excavations began in February 2025 as part of the redevelopment of the Place des Bancs and its surroundings on February 16 in Limoges.
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© Nicolas Chigot, France Télévisions
“We have housing, fairly high vestiges, a minimum meter. There are only bits of walls. We found a water well. We stopped the excavation at nine meters deep. But it is even deeper than that. It will keep the furniture vestiges, it is a very good conservation. We have found a lot of dishes, needles. of a man and a woman holding her hand, and a burial of a six -year -old child and an adult man, Details Claire Pesenti, Operation Manager. We also found a pool that was linked to water, and after things that are less visible. There were some bones, especially babies. “
There is also a granite column which was found in a symbolic positioning.
Claire PresentsOperation manager – Eveha archaeological design office
Other amazing discoveries make it possible to better understand the functioning of the place of the benches. The researchers noticed a place where a phosphate smell “Typical of a place where we want the beasts”specifies Claire Pesenti. We know that from the 13th century, butchers settled, we see that the terrain will be flattened for the slope to be less important. We know that the animals were brought there alive to the square, to be killed, then cut and sold. It was the way to keep meat in the best condition as there was no cold chain. “
The cavities will be rebuilt. The furniture will be taken care of by the ONEHA archaeological design office. “We recover the objects in our premises. They will be washed and then studied. We will then render a report to the regional archeology service. The objects will be entrusted to the State, but the city of Limoges will be able to make a request if it wishes to keep them.”
The archeology teams will follow the progress of the work until March 2026 to ensure that it is not damaged vestiges. “We will have a lot of work as a puzzle to make room for public weight, rue Liberté and in the adjacent streets.” The city of Limoges has a topography system of the cavities present in Limoges to anticipate in case of work “But there are always surprises.”
